Sash-fastener



(No Motief.) G GIBSON SASIH PASTENB'R- UNITED STATES PATENT SASH-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,303, dated April25, 1893.

Application filed February 10, 1892. Serial No. 421,027. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

' Beit known that I, GEROLT G1BsoN,a citizen of the United States,residingat St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Window-Sash Locks; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to beafull, clear, and exact description of the lnvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to .which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in window sash locks; and mysaid invention consists in certain novel details ot' construction andarrangement of the parts composing the sash lock, as and for thepurposes as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a lock for the lower sash of awindow that will be simple in construction; which will automaticallylock the sash in its closed position upon the lowering of the sash toits normal position; which cannot be unlockd from the outside and isautomatically unlocked in the act of raising the sash-and to accomplishsuch objects I proceed as follows, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which drawings:

Figure l is a sectional side elevation of a lock for the lower sash of awindow constructed according -to my invention, the same being shown asin position within the lower rail of the sash and engaging the keepersecured to the window sill, and Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing theposition of the parts in the act of raising the window sash. Fig. 3 is aplan view, Fig. 4 rear view, and Fig. 5 a front elevation of the lockdetached. Fig. 6 is a view of the keeper.

This lock consists essentially of two members or parts, one of which isseated within the lower rail of the window sash at its lower edge andiiush with its front surface, and the other member secured upon the faceof the window sill in such position as to engage the rst member, for thepurposes as will presently appear. This second member is simply a keeperwith iianged base, as shown in Fig. 6, and the first member isconstructed as fol- 1ows Y The letter A designates the face-plate of thelock having elliptical opening A for the insertion of the fingers inraising and lowering the sash, which face-plate fits flush with the faceof the lowerrail of the sash, and an angle plate or foot A2, that fitsiiush with the bottom edge of the lower rail of the sash and has anopenin g a therein to receive the keeper B, Fig. 5. At the rear of theface-plateAand preferably formed integral therewith and inclosing theopening A at its bottom and ends is a wall O, the top edges of whichincline downward as shown at c Fig. l.

D designates a projection secured to or forming a part of the face plateA to which projection is secured a spring E.

F is the latch that eects the locking of the parts, and this latch has ahook end f that engages the keeper B, and a body F that corresponds inshape to the wall O of the face-plate and against which it tits-beinghinged at f to the projection D, or to the face plate. l,

As shown in Fig. l, the top of the body F of the latch inclines downwardand covers the top of the opening A of the face-plate,

whilethe projection D is horizontal or nearly i so, so that a space asat f2 is left between the projection and top surface of the latch andthis space is so proportioned as to permit the hook end f of the latchto clear the keeper. The movement of the latch is therefore limited anda solid support is provided when raising the window as will presentlyappear.

As before stated, the lock is seated within the lower rail of the windowsash, iiush with the face thereof and it is so securedby screws thatpass through the sides of the wall C, as at d.

The operation is as follows-Supposing the parts to be in position andthe window raised, upon closing the same the curved outer end of thelatch F comes against the curved top edge of the keeper B whereby thelatch is forced back and, passing the end of the keeper, enters the sameas in Fig. 1, locking the window in its closed position. To raise thewindow, the fingers are inserted through the opening in the face-plateand against the top of the hinged latch so that in the act of liftingthe window the pressure is brought upon IOO ESO

the latch and the same forcedback and out of engagement with the keeperpermitting the window to be raised as in Fig. 2. When the hook end ofthe latch has cleared thekeeper, the top of the latch engages theprojection D so that the movement of the latch is limited and a solidbearing provided when raising the window.

Instead of a fiat spring such as that shown being employed, a spiral orother spring may be provided to react the latch.

It will be observed that,while I have shown a spring applied to thelatch, it is apparent that the automatic operation thereof is notdependent upon the action of such spring, z'. e. to hold the hooked endof said latch in its inward, normal position for the immediateengagement therewith of the keeper and, (as the keeper pushes it,--thelatch, to one side as the sash descends,) to permit the automatic returnof said hooked end into engagement with the eye or opening of saidkeeper. This is due to the construction of the keeper, it beinga perfectright-angle and unobstructed in its inward movement until its lower endstrikes the face-plate in consequence of its upper, short arm beingpivoted at its inner end to the face-plate; the greater weight thusbeing thrown forward causing the latch to swing toward the face-plateand be automatically or by gravity, retained, at its lower hooked end,against the face-plate with the beveled surface of the back of saidhooked end presented to the upper beveled surface of the keeper to havea readily yielding engagement with the latter just as the sash is beinglowered toits iinal or closed position. Furthermore, by the provision ofthe apertured base or bottom plate, it will be seen that, though thesash may be loose in the casing and though the aperture of said platemay not be just in alignment with the keeper, yet as the bottom plate,with its aperture approaches the keeper, the beveled upper edge of thekeeper will guide the latter into the aperture of said plate, and thesash will, when said keeper is received into said aperture, be held orretained against rattling. Again, by reason of the stop projectiondirectly above the short or approximately horizontal arm of theright-angled latch, the weight or pressure, exerted as vthe hand isapplied to said arm of the latch in lifting the sash, is transferredfrom the pivot or pintle of said latch to said stop projection. Andagain, it will be observed that the incision or cutting away of the sashfor the reception of the latch and its closure or casing is reduced to aminimum, no back plate being necessary for said casing or closure, whichwould require with the shank of the latch, thc providing of increasedspace or incision,

in the sash-frame. Besides, while only a reduced incision or space inthe sash is needed for the latch and its casing, the latch, itself,constitutes the back of the closure Vor casing, greatly simplifying theconstruction and rendering the same compact. Also, it will be seen thatthe face or engaging portion of the hooked end of the latch beingpresented squarely to the under, flat surface of the eye or loop portionof the keeper and adapted to move in a horizontal plane away from and tothe keeper, as is apparent from its suspension in place, the pivot ofsaid latch being d1- rectly over the hooked end, any effort,clandestinely or otherwise, from the outside, 1n attemping to raise thesash, would have the effect to cause the latch to more firmly bind orimpinge against said keeper and consequently the more secu relyinterlock said latch and keeper.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination, with the face-plate secured to the window sashhaving around the bottom and sides of the opening for the reception ofthe fingers, a wall having inclined top edges, and the keeper secured tothe window-sill, of the spring-pressed latch having a lower hooked endadapted to engage said keeper and its upper end adapted to rest upon theinclined top-edges of said wall, and itself adapted to rest bodilyagainst the inner edges of said wall, substantially as set forth.

2. In a window sash lock, in combination with the face-plate secured tothe lower rail of the window sash, having opening for the insertion ofthe fingers in raising the window .and a keeper secured to the windowsill, the

locking latch hinged at the rear of the faceplate and forming the topinner covering of the said opening of the face-plate and upon which thefingers rest to raise the window and simultaneously disengage the hookand spring for re-acting the latching hook-substantially as specified.

3. In a sash-lock, the combination, with a keeper adapted to be securedto the windowsill, of a face-plate having an apertured bottom-plate withits aperture adapted to engage said keeper, and a right-angled latchhung upon said face-plate and having its pivot directly over its lowerhooked end and said end adapted to engage said keeper just as the latterenters said aperture, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

l GEROLT GIBSON.

Vitnesscs:

R. E. PERRY, HENRY W. BOND.

